Fairy Tale No. 2
One day the Tsar rose early, leaving you, my
dearest, asleep, and took a morning view
of his low-budget quarters and his courtyard
with its flagpole where a scrap of fabric flew.
A mighty voice then said: ‘Behold my say-so!’—
made gloom and dark descend upon the earth,
and then whipped up and let loose a tornado,
a twisting thing that dealt lightning and death.
The firmament cracked, the rag tore off the flagpole,
the radio roared, and clouds along the ground
crawled on their bellies, like before the founding,
when heaven and earth were still together bound.
(Translation © G.S. Smith)
Сказка № 2
Царь поднимался рано и, пока ты
спала, шёл за порог взглянуть с утра
на небогатые свои палаты
и кол с мочалом подреди двора.
Но властный голос произнёс: “Так надо”,
и опустил на землю мрак и мглу,
и раскрутил и запустил торнадо,
молниесмертоносную юлу.
Трещала твердь, с кола рвалось мочало,
мычало радио, и облака ползли
на брюхе по земле, как до начала,
до разделенья неба и земли.
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